In 2025, will algorithms resurrect retail?

1 in 2 Gen Z declare to the New York Times that they regret the existence of TikTok (2024), a symbol of algorithmic intrusion. A paradox emerges: although hyper-connected, this generation expresses weariness in the face of a digital world that seems to confine more than it liberates.

Have algorithms outgrown their original purpose, to the point of undermining the authenticity of human connections? What role should algorithms play in the experience delivered by luxury brands? How can they re-enchant their experience by promoting emotion, sensory experience and the quest for authenticity? Could slow retail and the emergence of more discreet technologies, such as quiet tech, offer sustainable answers to these expectations?

From connectors to disconnectors: the evolution of algorithms

Algorithms, once designed to connect individuals, have led to a paradox: they reduce the user's field of exploration and enclose them in "bubbles" of hyper-personalized content. These mechanisms, driven by the race for social network engagement, actually fuel a sense of isolation, particularly among the younger generations.

The ultra-connected Generation Z is a perfect example. Consuming social networks for an average of four hours a day (Archrival, 2024), 39% feel that algorithms prevent them from seeing what really matters to them. This disenchantment reflects a growing rejection of the omnipresent role of algorithms in selecting their digital interactions.

In the face of this mistrust, the younger generations aspire to a reappropriation of their content consumption, seeking to reconnect with direct, meaningful human experiences.

La grande nostalgie: from flip phones to paper magazines

The speed with which content is consumed today has become dizzying even for Generation Z. So it's not surprising to see a return to "dumb tech". Flip phones, disposable cameras, vinyl or paper magazines are seducing a Generation Z in search of simplicity and control. A GWI study (2023) reveals that 40% of Zs feel nostalgia for eras they haven't lived through, and three out of five Gen Zs say they'd like to be less connected to the digital world (The Guardian, 2024).

Some brands have already begun this shift, with initiatives that respond to these aspirations. Loewe offers a magazine to all visitors to its stores, featuring the latest collections, articles on art and photography, as well as a poster and photo pocket for fans to collect brand elements. Le Labo launched "Le Journal", a printed newspaper that combines the nostalgia of the traditional press with exclusive brand content, such as tips for reusing packaging. Heineken unveiled a "Boring Phone" at Milan Design Week, advocating moderation in smartphone consumption with a phone that only offers to make calls or send text messages.

This return to the tangible, to the basics, marks a reappropriation of consumption patterns. By favoring slower, more engaging formats, brands are responding to a growing need for emotional connection and active involvement in the brand universe. But what impact could this quest for "dumb tech" have on retail? Doesn't this "slow" mode of consumption also influence customers' expectations during their in-store visit?‍

Slow retail : emotion and the human touch driven by quiet tech

This search for time, freedom of choice, and a break from the hectic pace of our lives already seems to be outlining the contours of what we might call slow retail. This new version of retail is emerging as a powerful response to hyper-consumption and digital saturation, transforming stores into real living spaces. These spaces are no longer purely transactional, but become points of encounter, exchange and immersion in the brand's universe.

At the heart of this transformation, the material, the real and the sensorial play a key role. Slow retail puts people and emotion back at the heart of the experience, far removed from impersonal digital interfaces. Brands are adopting new formats to respond to this quest for authenticity: cafés, stores without products, exclusive events where spaces are designed to take one's time and create a lasting emotional bond with one's community.

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Despite the rise of digital, 85% of luxury purchases are still made in-store, although 90% of customers do their research online before their visit (LVMH, 2024). Customers arrive in stores already informed, so what they're looking for is not just information, but a real relationship with the brand, even a conversation. 

In this context, quiet tech becomes an essential pillar. This technology acts behind the scenes, supporting human interaction and the overall experience, without ever imposing itself. Invisible to the customer, it smoothes customer journeys, anticipates needs, and supports sales staff in their ability to tell engaging, personalized stories. 

For example, it provides sales advisors with intelligent tools to prepare a customer visit in advance, understand their preferences or personalize recommendations without distracting attention from the relationship and the in-store experience.

This approach reconciles the benefits of innovation (key data collection, productivity and personalization) with customers' aspirations for more human, sustainable and sincere experiences.

Are luxury brands reinventing retail?

The emergence of slow retail and quiet tech highlights a fundamental need: to put the human back at the center of brand experiences in a world shaped by algorithms. In 2025, technology is not an end in itself, but an invisible tool that enriches the relationship between brands and their communities. The more technology and artificial intelligence develop, the more the human will become a luxury in the delivery of memorable customer experiences.